For this stand, three strong galvanized pins are included to help lock and centralize the tree in place, before the reinforced screws put in its final position. While this may take some time to complete, once it’s done, the stand holds any tree up to ten feet securely in place. Backed by a spill-proof guard and a water tank that can hold up to two gallons, keeping your tree moist will be a non-issue.
After writing the original version of this guide in fall 2016, we carefully disassembled and packed our pick at the time—a very similar National Tree model, the PEDD1-312LD-75X—in its original box and shipped it to Los Angeles for long-term use. After the long journey (in which the tree was jostled enough that it arrived with its top spike and branches sticking out of a corner of the box), it sat on a garage shelf for about 10 months, enduring temperatures over 100 degrees and gathering a little dust and grit without any plastic seal around the box or the contents. (Yes, we fell short of following our own advice on storage.)

If the National Tree and GE picks are unavailable, this Home Accents Holiday tree is a worthy alternative. It’s only 21 percent polyethylene—barely half our pick’s percentage—and up close, the fakey PVC needles that make up most of its foliage are pretty obvious. But its high branch-tip count (2,602 versus our pick’s 1,867) gives it a full, realistic appearance when viewed from across the room, and its greater girth (68 versus 59 inches) will fill even the largest living space. Like our other picks, its lights (750, same as our top pick) can switch between white and multicolored; and as on our GE also-great pick, the light strings connect automatically when you assemble the tree.

The experts almost universally agree that the Krinner Tree Genie is the top stand on the market. The Sweethome (now Wirecutter) has picked it as the best Christmas tree stand for four years in a row because of its one-of-a-kind design that is versatile, secure, and easy to set up. WRAL, a new station in North Carolina, posted an in-depth test of the tree. The reviewers found it had no trouble supporting a twelve-foot tree and required minimal effort to set up. Galt Technology called it the most convenient tree stand because it was easy to assemble and "install" the tree.

If you want to pay slightly less—or you just prefer to string your own lights—National Tree Company’s 7½-foot, unlit Feel Real Downswept Douglas Fir (PEDD1-503-75) is a great tree at a great price. It’s as tall and wide as our pick, with the same number of branch tips to give it that same full, room-filling form. It’s also identical in construction, with the same realistic polyethylene branch tips and PVC core. Simply losing the lights saves you more money than you might expect: This model is usually well over $100 cheaper than our main pick. But remember—if you don’t already own Christmas lights, you’ll eat up most of that savings buying them. (For smaller homes and apartments, we also recommend the 6½-foot version of this tree).

^ Jump up to: a b Greg Dues (2008). Advent and Christmas. Bayard. pp. 13–15. ISBN 978-1-58595-722-4. Next to the Nativity scene, the most popular Christmas tradition is to have a Christmas tree in the home. This custom is not the same as bringing a Yule tree or evergreens into the home, originally popular during the month of the winter solstice in Germany.
The Downswept Douglas Fir’s lights give off the intense colors characteristic of LEDs. With 750 bulbs on a 7½-foot tree, it exactly meets our 100-bulbs-per-foot recommendation. The all-white setting has a rich golden tone; the multicolor setting is bright and pure. To people used to the softer glow of incandescent bulbs, the effect may appear a little harsh. If you’d prefer the same tree strung with all-white or multicolor incandescents, you can usually find one for the same price or less, but you’ll get only three or four seasons of light life, whereas LEDs may run for a decade or more with normal use. (A string of 300 white or multicolor incandescents runs about $10 at Home Depot currently; you would need three strings, or about $30 worth, to meet the “at least 100 lights per foot of tree” guideline for our 7½-foot tree picks.)

The event runs throughout the month of December each year. All the trees first light up on the first Thursday of December and are a highlight of the annual Town of Windsor Holiday Celebration starting at 5 pm with performances by local youth, live music, Photos with Santa, Wagon and train rides and more. Tree Lighting is at 7 pm. Treats and food choices will be available for purchase.

Because we advised against pre-lit trees (as you typically can’t remove the lights from the tree even if they burn out), we chose to focus our research on unlit trees. That being said, we know that the convenience of a pre-lit tree is sometimes irresistible. And we have to admit, they make festive night lights. So, we’re still sharing our favorite pre-lit pick.
The Emerald Innovations stand in particular had our hopes up because it lets you adjust the angle of the tree by pressing a foot pedal and turning the tree on a large ball joint. But the initial setup proved more of a hassle than any other method: A separate sleeve fits over the tree’s trunk while it’s lying down, and you secure it with screw-down clamps. Then you fit the sleeve and tree together into the base. The frustrating setup, along with the lack of stability, outweighed the otherwise cool design.

National Tree Company’s 7½-foot Feel Real Downswept Douglas Fir with dual-color LEDs (PEDD1-D12-75) is our pick among artificial Christmas trees. It’s very full and highly realistic, and its 59-inch girth will nicely fill the corner of most living rooms. The lights can switch from multicolor to all-white (actually more of a soft “golden” white), giving it versatility. It’s widely available, too: If you’d like to see it in person, Home Depot, Kohl’s, and many holiday stores typically carry it.

Of the comments provided, most of them were from repeat buyers — which is always a great sign. They note how easy the stand makes it to decorate the tree, with no squeezing between the walls required to place ornaments on various branches. Their one callout is to ensure the stand is correctly-sized to fit your tree, which can often be confusing for faux buys. All around, most individuals were happy with their new holiday purchase.
Many other stands didn’t offer the minimum water capacity of 1½ gallons, including a smaller stand made by Emerald Innovations, Bowling’s Last Stand, Krinner’s smaller Tree Genie M, and the Swivel Straight. We passed over several for having ultracomplicated fastening systems, like the Standtastic Stand, which requires you to screw wood screws into the tree (a huge pain if you need to adjust the tree after setting it up). The E.Z. H20 and the Omega Tree Stand have poor Amazon reviews.
“I was VERY impressed by this affordable little tree!! Came in perfect condition, set up in less than two minutes, lights worked perfectly, and it has a very sturdy, dependable base. It breaks down into a box that a short stack of large dinner plates could fit into. All in all, I would consider it my best-valued decoration in my home to date, as far as price goes. It definitely makes a beautiful holiday statement and I’m sure I will be displaying it for YEARS to come! I may add some more LED lights myself for a more profound look at night, though.”
The show's glowing reviews were highlighted with an ad in trade magazines;[30] one thanked Coca-Cola, CBS, United Features Syndicate, and the show's viewers.[28] Fantasy released the special's soundtrack the first week of December 1965, coinciding with the special's airdate.[31] United Feature Syndicate pushed hard to promote the special, while Word Publishing issued a hardcover adaption of the special.[31] CBS promptly ordered four additional Peanuts specials.[9] A Charlie Brown Christmas was awarded the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1966. "Charlie Brown is not used to winning, so we thank you," Schulz joked.[2]
The special influenced dozens of young aspiring artists and animators, many of whom went on to work within both the comics and animation industries, among them Eric Goldberg (Pocahontas),[39] Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up), Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E),[1] Jef Mallett (Frazz),[38] and Patrick McDonnell (Mutts).[40] The show's score made an equally pervasive impact on viewers who would later perform jazz, among them David Benoit[41] and George Winston.[31] More directly, the special launched a series of Peanuts films, TV specials (many of them holiday-themed) and other works of entertainment.

Potential customers who have never actually seen one of our fresh holiday wreaths might find it helpful to know that the entire process of creating, decorating and shipping each fresh Christmas wreath is performed on our farm, thus enabling us to perform quality inspections from start to finish. We also handcraft cedar garland, holiday centerpieces, Christmas door swags and other decorative fresh evergreens. We do our best to take product pictures that help exemplify the quality of our beautiful live Christmas wreaths, but when it comes down to it you're going to have to buy one of our live wreaths to get a full understanding of how impressive our live Christmas wreaths really are!

Give the hanging wreath a break, and incorporate one into your table setting. Here, we spruced up a boxwood wreath with succulents, eucalyptus sprigs, and gold ribbon and placed a grouping of mismatched green candles in the center. If guests are coming, add a few fresh white tulips to the wreath with florist water picks and light the candles. Because this is a low arrangement, dinner-party conversations will flow easily all night.

Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as giant sequoia, Leyland cypress, Monterey cypress and eastern juniper. Various types of spruce tree are also used for Christmas trees (including the blue spruce and, less commonly, the white spruce); but spruces begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and spruce needles are often sharp, making decorating uncomfortable. Virginia pine is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States; however, its winter color is faded. The long-needled eastern white pine is also used there, though it is an unpopular Christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. Norfolk Island pine is sometimes used, particularly in Oceania, and in Australia, some species of the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina are also occasionally used as Christmas trees. But, by far, the most common tree is the Monterey pine. Adenanthos sericeus or Albany woolly bush is commonly sold in southern Australia as a potted living Christmas tree. Hemlock species are generally considered unsuitable as Christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments.

The other major complaint is a loss of tension in the ratchet and claw mechanism, which can let a tree topple over. Other Amazon users have experienced failure of the locking mechanism. According to the manufacturer, this problem can be eliminated by using a small padlock to secure the lock toggle in place (you could also use a little bolt).If you have these or any other major problems, the Krinner is backed by a five-year warranty.

Both setting up and taking down a Christmas tree are associated with specific dates. Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until Christmas Eve (24 December)[citation needed] or, in the traditions celebrating Christmas Eve rather than the first day of Christmas, 23 December, and then removed the day after Twelfth Night (5 January); to have a tree up before or after these dates was even considered bad luck,[citation needed] and that to avoid bad luck from affecting the house's residents, the tree must be left up until after the following Twelfth Night passes.

JCPenney has a great selection of Christmas trees for sale at affordable prices. A Balsam Fir pre lit Christmas tree is an elegant choice, offering a full, natural shape with lots of branches for ornaments, available in multicolor or clear lights and a sturdy stand. Another artificial Christmas tree option is a frosted pine that’s hand-painted to create a snow-dusted look across its full branches. Clear lights assist in a creating a winter wonderland you’ll love. If you’re short on space, or just want another tree for a different part of the house, go for a corner tree in a convenient wedge shape. Always a classic, a pure white Christmas tree is a sure crowd pleaser, with multi-tip branches, clear lights and full, low profile. For a full, natural-looking downswept shape, look no further than a mixed pine tree that comes with either clear or multicolor lights.
The other major complaint is a loss of tension in the ratchet and claw mechanism, which can let a tree topple over. Other Amazon users have experienced failure of the locking mechanism. According to the manufacturer, this problem can be eliminated by using a small padlock to secure the lock toggle in place (you could also use a little bolt).If you have these or any other major problems, the Krinner is backed by a five-year warranty.

Unlike the fresh version made with real pine needles, an artificial Christmas wreath lasts year after year. Simply use a wreath hanger to adorn your front door each year and enjoy with no maintenance worries and no mess. Holiday wreaths also make great gifts. Double up on your purchase and spread cheer to friends, family or an elderly neighbor this holiday season.

Live trees are typically grown as a crop and replanted in rotation after cutting, often providing suitable habitat for wildlife.[citation needed] Alternately, live trees can be donated to livestock farmers of such animals like goats who find that such trees uncontaminated by chemical additives are excellent fodder.[110] In some cases management of Christmas tree crops can result in poor habitat since it sometimes involves heavy input of pesticides.[111] Concerns have been raised about people cutting down old and rare conifers, such as the Keteleeria evelyniana and Abies fraseri, for Christmas trees.
The issue was two-fold. First, the TA503068 relies on a stout spike in the middle of the stand. To keep the tree stable, you should bore about a half-inch hole in the bottom of your tree. Many stands utilize some sort of impaling measure, but few require the usage of a drill. The second issue we had was with the shallow design. The bolts grip the trunk at around the four-inch mark–that's not a lot of purchase. When struck, our listed to one side. The website lists that it can handle an eight-foot tree, but we won't put anything nearly that tall in this one.
The Drymate® Christmas tree mat is the perfect solution to protecting floors and carpets during the holiday season. Place this waterproof mat under your Christmas tree stand for worry-free watering. The super absorbent top layer collects drips and spills, while the waterproof backing prevents soak through, keeping moisture away from surfaces below. Made from a soft, pliable material, the Drymate® Christmas tree mat can be stored compactly with other seasonal decorations. Machine washable for...
A Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 reports that a small tree decorated with "apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers" was erected in the guild-house for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas Day.[27] In 1584, the pastor and chronicler Balthasar Russow in his Chronica der Provinz Lyfflandt (1584) wrote of an established tradition of setting up a decorated spruce at the market square, where the young men "went with a flock of maidens and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame".